A Thorn in the Flesh

Rev. Addington Hall, who helped lead the fight for the recognition of marriage equality, tells the riveting story of how the Episcopal Church became the largest U.S. denomination to officially sanction same-sex relationships and how this contentious issue has been used to further conservative political agendas, both in the United States and abroad. This revised and updated edition describes in vivid detail how African and Asian churches have been drawn into a conflict that began in the United States in the Episcopal Church, and raises vital questions of whether people with different understandings of authority and truth, from vastly different cultures, can live in harmony. Hall also describes the exodus of conservative Episcopal Churches that left the denomination in protest after the 2012 vote to form the separatist Anglican Church in North America, and the impact of this exodus on the identity, theology, politics, and activities the current Episcopal Church.

In a stirring final chapter, Addington Hall lays out the challenges the Episcopal Church and the Anglican communion face in their attempt to talk, meet, and remain united.

This is an ideal volume for anyone who wants to understand the historical and current divisions within the Episcopal Church and the broader Anglican Communion regarding sexuality, gender identity, and marriage equality.